January 8, 2011

Re: Arizona Shooter Jared Loughner

It was only two days ago that Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Az) participated in the Congressional reading of the Constitution, and read one of its most important Amendments - the First Amendment. Today, she lies in a hospital ... the victim of a gunshot wound to the head by Jared Laughner, who appears to be what Pamela Geller refers to as a "lefty loon" (a loon at the very least, for sure ... as for his political ideology, if he has one, that remains to be determined). At the moment it appears that Congresswoman Giffords is going to pull through, but six people were killed (including a federal judge and a nine year-old girl) and 11 others were injured.

So, regardless of Loughner's political bent is right or left, he is indeed at the very least, truly disturbed.

Laughner's favorite books YouTube profile) shows that the Communist Manifesto, Mein Kampf, Animal Farm, and Brave New World are among his favorite books.

Perhaps there's no better indication that Loughner is truly disturbed than his "music video" ... burning a flag. He's dressed like what appears to be Muslim-like garb?

As Phillip Klein aptly sums up the situation at American Spectator ... in an adult manner (contrary to how many on the left have already acted):

No doubt, some will try to exploit this event for political gain. In fact, even before the shooter was identified, Paul Krugman was already blaming the incident on Sarah Palin, Tea Party activists, and opposition to national health care. But with details starting to trickle in on the alleged shooter, Jared Loughner, it's looking like it will be hard to identify him with any given ideology (not that violent acts by nut jobs should ever be blamed on others who share a few political views that they express peacefully). Assuming this is the YouTube page of Loughner, his views look completely incoherent. Among his favorite books: Mein Kampf, the Communist Maniefesto, Animal Farm, and Ayn Rand's We the Living. Unless he's the first Nazi Randian communist, it's hard to identify him with any political movement. The videos themselves are filled with random psuedo-intellectual gibberish about currency and English grammar. I think Finnegans Wake was more comprehensible.

With the story quickly evolving, there's a limit to what we can say about the shooting. But one thing we can say is that beyond the lives that were directly affected, another upsetting element is that this incident could have the affect of creating more distance between members of Congress and their constituents. There was a time when citizens were able to walk up to the doors of the White House, wait on line, and give the president a piece of their mind. That obviously became impractical and too risky as time went on. But members of Congress, of all public figures, are the most accessible of public officials. To the extent that new security concerns will begin to make members of the "People's House" more distant from the people, this is a tragedy in more ways than one.

Unfortunately, there's much more to come on this evolving story.

Update: Jim Lindgren at Volokh Conspiracywrites in his "What were Jared Loughner's Politics" that someone writing under the Twitter account name ofCaitie Parker ... says she was in a band with Loughner and attended high school and college with him, and that (back in 2007 at least) Loughner was a "political radical" and "was left wing, quite liberal. & oddly obsessed with the 2012 prophecy."

Perhaps a commenter at Atlas Shrugged says it best, you just can't make this stuff up:

"Good grief. This one is so elaborately looney that it goes beyond what the average conspiracy theory nut can even make up. Conspiracy theory nutcases on other planets couldn't make this guy up. And yet, a Democrtic Arizona State Senator just KNOWS it's the fault of the Tea Party and FOX News."

Bottom line, for now, on this loon's politics ... he just may be so loony that a label for his political bent hasn't even been invented yet.

\n\nIt was only two days ago that Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Az) participated in the Congressional reading of the Constitution, and read one of its most important Amendments - the First Amendment. Today, she lies in a hospital ... the victim of a gunshot wound to the head by Jared Laughner, who appears to be what Pamela Geller refers to as a \"lefty loon\" (a loon at the very least, for sure ... as for his political ideology, if he has one, that remains to be determined). At the moment it appears that Congresswoman Giffords is going to pull through, but six people were killed (including a federal judge and a nine year-old girl) and 11 others were injured.\n\nSo, regardless of Loughner's political bent is right or left, he is indeed at the very least, truly disturbed.\n\nLaughner's favorite books YouTube profile) shows that the Communist Manifesto, Mein Kampf, Animal Farm, and Brave New World are among his favorite books.\n\nPerhaps there's no better indication that Loughner is truly disturbed than his \"music video\" ... burning a flag. He's dressed like what appears to be Muslim-like garb?\n\n

\n\nAs Phillip Klein aptly sums up the situation at American Spectator ... in an adult manner (contrary to how many on the left have already acted):\n

No doubt, some will try to exploit this event for political gain. In fact, even before the shooter was identified, Paul Krugman was already blaming the incident on Sarah Palin, Tea Party activists, and opposition to national health care. But with details starting to trickle in on the alleged shooter, Jared Loughner, it's looking like it will be hard to identify him with any given ideology (not that violent acts by nut jobs should ever be blamed on others who share a few political views that they express peacefully). Assuming this is the YouTube page of Loughner, his views look completely incoherent. Among his favorite books: Mein Kampf, the Communist Maniefesto, Animal Farm, and Ayn Rand's We the Living. Unless he's the first Nazi Randian communist, it's hard to identify him with any political movement. The videos themselves are filled with random psuedo-intellectual gibberish about currency and English grammar. I think Finnegans Wake was more comprehensible.\n\nWith the story quickly evolving, there's a limit to what we can say about the shooting. But one thing we can say is that beyond the lives that were directly affected, another upsetting element is that this incident could have the affect of creating more distance between members of Congress and their constituents. There was a time when citizens were able to walk up to the doors of the White House, wait on line, and give the president a piece of their mind. That obviously became impractical and too risky as time went on. But members of Congress, of all public figures, are the most accessible of public officials. To the extent that new security concerns will begin to make members of the \"People's House\" more distant from the people, this is a tragedy in more ways than one.

Unfortunately, there's much more to come on this evolving story.\n\nUpdate: Jim Lindgren at Volokh Conspiracywrites in his \"What were Jared Loughner's Politics\" that someone writing under the Twitter account name ofCaitie Parker ... says she was in a band with Loughner and attended high school and college with him, and that (back in 2007 at least) Loughner was a \"political radical\" and \"was left wing, quite liberal. & oddly obsessed with the 2012 prophecy.\"\n\nPerhaps a commenter at Atlas Shrugged says it best, you just can't make this stuff up:

\"Good grief. This one is so elaborately looney that it goes beyond what the average conspiracy theory nut can even make up. Conspiracy theory nutcases on other planets couldn't make this guy up. And yet, a Democrtic Arizona State Senator just KNOWS it's the fault of the Tea Party and FOX News.\"